Spring Cleaning: New Ideas To Declutter Your Life 

One essential task in spring involves tossing out the old to make space for the new. It’s time for spring cleaning. But we are not here to show you how to declutter your home. Instead, this article is about decluttering your life and soul. Spring is an excellent time to think about what you need to let go of so your life can flourish in every way.

To start cleaning a house, we open the windows and let the air in. Do the same with your soul. Open your heart with complete sincerity, asking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit and Our Lady to know exactly what needs to go. Most things that hold us back have their roots in our pride and vanity. So, retreat in silence and meditate on the sources of your sufferings. Many of them can disappear as easily as dusting the piano.

Clean the Mould of Resentment

Roll up your sleeves and face the first clean-up with humility. Resentment arises from feeling unjustly and personally offended. It’s the typical thought of the proud. How can you remove this from your life? First, try to view the situation that made you resentful from a distance. The person who offended you might have done so unintentionally; we are all sometimes abrupt and careless in our personal relationships. If this is the case, live by the motto of forgive and forget, and move on. After all, you are not so special that you can’t be treated with disdain sometimes. This way, you cleanse both resentment and pride at once.

But it might be that the person who hurt you did so deliberately to harm you. Even in this case, the offence is not personal. Those who attack others are unhappy with themselves and need to belittle those around them to feel superior. Therefore, do not take anything personally. Your opinion of yourself is what matters, not the opinion of those who want to see you unhappy, right? Remember, most of the time, a personal attack only shows that you are on the right path and bothers those who can’t follow your steps. The best cleaning product against resentment is love. See others through the lenses of understanding and forgiveness, and in place of the mould, peace will grow.

Spray Against Toxic People

Even if you have sufficient self-esteem, there are people who test you, dumping their unhappiness and disappointments onto you. Generally, these are people in your intimate circle, like family members. A typical example is a sister-in-law who suffers because she believes you have a better life and raised your children well. For her, comparison is a real source of suffering. The result is micro-aggressions, gossip, and criticisms full of resentment and malice. In reality, these people suffer when you are around and feel the need to attack you. Envy is truly harmful—to those who feel it and to those who are its victims.

Now is the time to remove these toxic people from your life. The best solution is to seek distance. If contact with you leads this person to fall into the temptation of envy and anger, your distance is a pure act of charity. As the saying goes, ‘Out of sight, out of mind’. Try to limit contact to unavoidable events like Christmas and birthdays. Speak little or nothing about your life and plans. And in the presence of your frenemie, say a quick mental prayer. Saint Josemaria Escriva used to say: ‘Lord, make this person sanctify me.’ It works like a spiritual Febreze.

Combat the Bacteria of Self-Pity

Self-pity can have significant consequences in your life. Going through difficult periods such as an economic setback or a serious health problem is almost inevitable. But how you handle these situations is your choice. The person who tends towards self-pity will exaggerate their bad luck until they feel hopeless and helpless. You might start thinking that your life will never be good again and that you are being punished. You’ll grow to believe any effort you put into changing your life will be useless. Consequently, you won’t take any action and you’ll stay stuck in a dark place. And no, you won’t be the centre of attention because you are so unfortunate. Have you ever heard anyone say, ‘I really like her because she’s so pitiful?’ So, cleanse this area of your life as quickly as possible.

The best way to combat the bacteria of self-pity is to have gratitude. Many people write a gratitude journal, either when they wake up or before they sleep. Note down the things you are grateful for in life. You can also trust that God will help you carry your burden. Moreover, He does not give you a heavier cross than you can bear. Being grateful and having faith that the wheel of fortune turns will strengthen your mental health. It will ensure that you won’t waste valuable time and precious energy wishing things were different. Instead, you’ll be equipped to take the positive action you need to solve problems, cope with discomfort, and develop a healthier outlook.

Disinfect Negative Thoughts

There is nothing wrong with feeling sad in the face of a difficult situation or a loss. On the contrary, embracing grief is a healing process. That said, sadness is not the same as negative thinking. The latter is a fatalistic view of one’s prospects that leads to a feeling of total hopelessness. However, this is something that can be combated with willpower and faith. Hope is the second theological virtue. This means that, as a virtue, it is a habit that must be nurtured and strengthened in our lives. I’m not talking about the hope of getting a new job or the perfect husband, but a greater Hope, where our human vulnerability is in God’s kind hands. How can we achieve this unwavering peace as seen in the lives of many saints? By serving others and ceasing to be the centre of our own attention. Enlist in some charitable services like reading books to the sick in hospitals. Or help distribute soup to the poor and homeless. Or simply accompany a friend on a walk three times a week, and be more interested in her life than in your own.

And that is what today is called rewiring your brain.

Confession: The Dyson Hover for the Soul

All the points mentioned above will be easier to achieve if you make a good confession. Confession is also called the act of Reconciliation because it brings you closer to God while sin distances you. Repenting of your pride, lack of humility, envy, etc., cleanses your soul in the most efficient way. With each confession, you gain more grace to fight against your nature, and your life keeps improving. There is nothing more powerful than the joy and love that God pours into a soul that seeks to be close to Him. Besides, as my husband says, confession has a touch of psychological analysis, pushing you forward, away from your neuroses.

Conclusion

Spring cleaning can be much more than cleaning the house and wardrobe. It is a fertile time of year for you to cleanse your soul of everything that might be holding you back. Be grateful, be at peace, and have hope!